Vampire Academy
by Z.L.Haywood
Summary: When Rose was discovered by Dimitri and sent back to the Academy, she wasn't some novice who knew nothing. She was an experienced fighter. An experienced killer and she was ready to take on whoever put Lissa in danger...
1. Chapter 1

**New story Alert! So this is my second Vampire Academy story and I hope that you will all enjoy this one :) Also I hope to God I have became a better writer than I was when I wrote that one (I re-read and was shocked by how appalling it is, but don't worry I will be revising it because I like the plot I had for it)...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the VA Characters unfortunately...**

**LASTLY REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

* * *

Chapter 1

I cleared my mind listening out for the attack that would surely come any time soon. I heard him just a second before I was hit on my side. I growled at him rubbing my already bruising skin. He was starting to piss me off. "Rosie! You can do better than this..." He called tauntingly, trying to make me react to his nickname for me. However I was concentrating on where his voice had sounded from. 4 O'Clock. I slightly twisted my body to the right ready for the next time he would attack.

My ears picked up the slight shuffle of his feet as he moved towards me. I then heard the swoosh of an arm aimed at my stomach. I back flipped out of the way, bringing my legs up with force, hitting him. The noise of him being hit satisfied me to no end. Smiling, I landed in a crouched position and waited for his next move. I didn't hear anything but the hard breathing coming out of me. I was being too loud. I held my breath and waited for a sound. 6 O'Clock. He was trying to creep around to attack from behind me. I listened and heard exactly where he stopped: 2 metres away from me. I quickly thought through the moves I could do on him while listening out for any movement on his side. When he didn't, I launched into an attack. I turned quickly and propelled myself at him, seemingly surprising him from the way he gasped. Slamming into him, our fight became blurred with many hits and kicks on both sides. Suddenly I heard him move his arm again, leaving his chest wide open for an attack. Knowing I had to be quick, I knocked his hand away and roundhouse kicked my target. I heard him let out a big gruff. From there, I pounced on him, pinned him down and slapped my hand against his chest.

"Dead." I whispered and got off him, pulling off my blindfold in a huff. He laughed at my actions. Silent treatment for him then. I glared into his blue eyes letting him know I wasn't happy with him and proceeded to walk away to the weights. I went straight to the bench, needing to get rid off my anger directed at the only other person in the gym.

While I lifted the weight easily, I spaced out thinking about everything I've learnt over the last year. I had surpassed most guardians in only one year, or at least that was what my trainer told me. I hadn't actually seen another Moroi or Dhamphir in over a year apart from my soon to be charge Lissa.

I bet you're wondering about that last paragraph huh? I guess I should explain my world... Moroi are vampires. They need to drink blood to survive. However they don't kill. If they kill a victim while drinking, they turn into a bloodthirsty Strigoi. They lose all their personality and become a cold deceiving murderer - so basically everything you think a vampire is by the myths you have heard. They also lose their magic. Yes, magic. Moroi can control elements around them. There are five different elements: Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Spirit. Unfortunately, only few know about Spirit because it is a very uncommon for a Moroi to specialize in it. I know only one person who can do Spirit, that's how uncommon it is. No one knows how much the spirit entails but one of the many things it can do is 'super-compulsion'**.** This means they can control what people do. All Moroi can do a little compulsion; they can compel Humans and Dhamphirs, but can't compel other Moroi while Spirit users can control all three.

Dhamphirs. That's what I am. We are basically half-Human, half-Moroi. We have all the great characteristics of both kinds. We are fast, can hear really well and are strong. These are from the Moroi while from the Humans we can go out in sunlight without getting weak (Moroi get weak in sunlight), and look more like humans (Moroi have fangs and are pale white with a small build). Finally Dhamphirs don't need blood. Ever. In fact it makes me shiver just thinking about it. Blah. Dhamphirs are also the protectors of the Moroi race. We are trained from birth to be guardians. We protect them from Strigoi. Since a young age my aim has been to guard my best friend Lissa.

Lissa is a spirit user and also a princess. There are 12 royal families including hers and the oldest of the family gets the title. As she is the only one in her family, she is Princess Vasilisa of the Dragomir family. As a spirit user she can do super compulsion and she can heal. She can also bring back the dead. I am an example of this. A few years ago me, her parents and her brother Andre died in a car crash. Lissa was so distraught over losing me that her magic welled up into her and she saved me. From this we have a bond. This means that I feel everything she feels and I get pulled into her head when she gets emotional. It's probably one of the best things that could have happened in a guardians point of view: I know where my charge is all the time and I know when she is in danger.

Being the princess comes with a lot of responsibility and lots of danger. That's the reason we don't meet any of our kind. Instead Lissa and I have merged ourselves into the human world to keep her safe. She is my responsibility. She is my charge. And we have always been taught that Moroi come first. That is why when I noticed the amount of danger she was in from being the only spirit user that we know of, we ran. We ran away from our school, Saint Valdimir's and started our constant movement around the country to not be spotted.

For the first few months it was just us. The two of us partying and having fun on the road until we became too noticeable. We were attacked by Strigoi and I couldn't do anything. I wasn't trained. I hadn't realised how much work being a guardian would entail. I didn't know how to react. I didn't know how to fight. I was reckless. I almost got us killed.

_Lissa and I stumbled out of the club laughing along the way. "Rose! I still don't understand how you attract so many males to you." She said giggly drunkenly. _

_I smirked at her and indicated to my body. "What can I say when you have a body this hot, you attract boys like a Moth to a flame." We burst out laughing again. We held one another close trying to keep ourselves steady as we strolled towards our hotel. I started to have a nauseous feeling I the pit of my stomach and straight after I noticed slight movement to the right of us, but my eyesight was so blurred that I just assumed it was my eyes were playing tricks and I probably drank one too many. _

_We continued on until we reached the side of an alley. The movement was there again and this time I turned my head to look into the shadows. The first thing I noticed was a tall shadow. My eyes unconsciously moved up to the top and that's when I spotted it. Red rimmed eyes. Strigoi. I shoved Lissa away from me and shouted at her to run while stayed where I was trying to recall anything from my years at Saint Vlad's. Nothing came to my mind. Knowing I had to be a distraction though I still stayed where I was and crouched down swaying slightly waiting for the Strigoi's first movement. Instead I heard a whimper from behind me. I looked to the noise and there was Lissa trying to pry the hands off of her neck. Hands that belonged to another Strigoi._

_"Hmm… The last Dragomir. What a treat for us!" The Strigoi holding Lissa said with a slight hiss. I growled at him ignoring the other Strigoi. "Don't worry Dhamphir. We didn't forget you. You are a pretty thing aren't you?" He said grinning evilly. I shuddered not liking where his thoughts were._

_"I have to agree with you there." The Strigoi replied breathing down my neck. I froze. I didn't know what to do. "I think we should leave this one as desert. She will be fun, I can see it already." He said stroking my neck. I closed my eyes briefly praying this was just a nightmare. I opened my eyes and looked into Lissas' eyes begging her to forgive me for putting us into this situation. We both communicated with our eyes saying our final goodbyes._

_We were them both dragged by our necks into the alley. By then I had understood I was going to die but I could still have a chance at saving Lissas life, I waited for the Strigoi holding Lissa to come nearer. I then kicked him as hard as I could in his stomach. He let go of Lissa immediately cursing at me. "Lissa run!" I shouted to her watching her move quickly into the street until I felt the grip on my neck tighten and I was slammed into a wall. _

_I blacked for a few seconds and as my vision was coming back I heard a whisper in my ear. "A fighter I see. Don't worry I'll make you fear me." I gulped loudly making him laugh maliciously. "You'll be screaming soon." He said with no emotion. The back of my head throbbed and I felt it slowly become damper. I was bleeding. I heard the monster in front of me slowly smell me. "You smell delicious youngling." He then bit into my skin making me scream which then turned into a moan: the endorphins from the bite taking over the fear and turning it into bliss. My mind was telling me that this wasn't right while my body was enjoying it. As he pulled more of my blood, my body was slowly winning the fight and I slumped into the Strigoi's arms._

_While I was in my 'happy place' grunts and thuds interrupted the silence. This lasted for a few minutes as I was gradually losing consciousness until suddenly I was ripped out of my heaven and brought back to the real world. I couldn't see. I was in pain. I was dying. The last thing I heard was my name:_

"Rose." Rob, my trainer said. The same voice I heard that night - My saviour. He was the one to save both me and Lissa from death. I owe him, but he just says it was his duty. He used to be a guardian but fell out of the system when his charge, his love died on his account. He knew what it was like to lose someone you love. He's been with us ever since training me to be ready for anything because ever since that night I haven't slacked in my duties. I can't lose Lissa, she is my sister.

Rob also helped me and Lissa with researching Spirit. He was someone with experience. In other words when he saved us, he was looking for us. He knew what Lissa was specialized in and he knew about me being shadow kissed. He was looking for us to help us because he had been in the same situation. He was shadow kissed. Was being the term. When his charge died he felt an indescribable pain as his bond broke. He looked at out for to stop that happening to us.

He also helped me with being shadow kissed. He knew that every time Lissa used her magic, it would make her darkness appear and we had heard legends of many spirit users going mad from it so I learnt to take it away. Rob taught me how to store it use it to my advantage. If I used it in a fight it made me stronger and more accurate because the darkness was pointed at something else. It was my secret weapon whenever I fought Rob or hunted Strigoi…

"Rose, come on. You need to go soon. Lissa will have finished her lessons in thirty minutes." Rob explained. My annoyance with him had diminished to the usual irritation level so I smirked up to him.

"Aww Robbie annoyed that I beat you even when I was blindfolded?" My smirk developed into a grin as I started on my cool down. He didn't respond so I looked at him noticing he was deep in thought. "I have a question, how is it fair that I wear a blindfold and you don't? How is that fair?"

Rob looked at me seriously. "Think of this scenario: if you were fighting in the dark who will be able to see and who will be have to rely on other senses. You want to be the best so you need get an advantage every time you are put into a disadvantaged situation." He broke off and muttered to himself. "With a few more practises with the blindfold you will be ready." I looked at him funny wondering what he meant but he was already walking to the exit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Bonjour bonjour bonjour! So I hope you all liked that last chapter and now like this one. Anyway, I want you all to know that while it might seem like I am a quick updater I can be a bit slow so you all need to shout at me in the reviews si? Love you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any vampire academy characters apart from Rob. HE'S MINE! (I'm feeling a bit possessive aren't I just?)**

**Review, review and review people!**

* * *

Chapter 2:

It had been a few days and I had perfected using a blindfold. When Lissa found out, she decided to celebrate with me so we went out to the closest bar. I entered first checking the surroundings for any threats. The bar had a very cosy feeling to it. It had lots of mementos that the owner obviously kept from his and the customers trips.

"Rose." She said putting her hand on my shoulder. "Relax. This is about you which means you need to be the one having fun."

"But you know what happened last time? And besides I'll relax when there is more than one guardian on duty but you only have me. I can't lose you Lissa. You are my sister." I looked at her pleadingly.

She sighed. "I know Rose. You are my sister too and as your sister I command you to have at least one drink." Before I butted in she continued. "Just one drink Rose. You seem like you have a stick up your ass right now." I looked at her shocked. "In a nice way." She added. I rolled my eyes – she didn't have a mean bone in her.

I considered what she said until I finally relented. "Only one. And trust me I don't need the alcohol, I'm always the life of the party." I said dragging her towards the counter knowing she was repeating my gesture and rolling her eyes. We sat right in the middle of the counter getting the attention of the males near us. I laughed inwardly at that. Lissa and I are desirable at the worst of times. When you add make up and other figure hugging dresses into it we are the centre of people's worlds. I'm not vain though. You just when you have something when males flock to you.

While I and Lissa were desired, we were not alike at all. She is tall, pale and slim like all Moroi. She had long blonde hair and dazzling light green eyes. Her features were straight and perfect and humans would consider her to be a supermodel. While I am short: a measly five foot four. I also have curves and add this to the fact that I work out constantly, my body is at melting point to the male eye (and female eye to some). Then there are my features. Even though my mother is Scottish and has red hair my father, Abe or Zmey as some would call him is Turkish. I took that from his side. I have olive skin and I look like an Arabian princess with my long dark brown almost black hair and brown eyes.

Lissa was making idle chat with me while we waited for the drinks to come. I looked around the bar, still semi paranoid and my eyes ended up on the guy behind Lissa. He was staring at Lissa like she was a goddess. I giggled slightly stopping Lissa midway in a sentence. "What?" She asked puzzled.

I smiled to her. "12 O'Clock I see a really nice pair of shoes with yellow laces." I used our terminology for all things boys – shoe being hot guy and yellow lace, blonde hair. She glanced behind her and gave him a quick smile. His eyes bugged out for being caught and then he blushed. "What do you think? Cute isn't he?"

Lissa looked down smiling brightly. The light caught the bags under her eyes. Frowning, I looked closer and noticed other things. Her skin was paler than usual and she looked slightly sick. Gulping the last of my drink I told her that we needed to go to the bathroom. She walked slowly with me behind her as I tried to figure out the last time she fed. It had to be at least 3 days ago if not more.

As we got into the bathroom, I checked to see if anyone was in there. When there wasn't, I went to the door and locked it. I then cornered Lissa with the question 'why haven't you fed'. I watched as she hung her head in shame. "I don't like asking you for blood. You are my friend and every time you feed me I'm degrading you making you seem like a blood whore. I don't like it." She mumbled.

"Oh Lissa." I sighed and pulled her into a hug. Of course she would think of anyone but herself. I gradually moved away and moved my hair away from my neck. She shook her head as I did this. "Lissa you need a pick-me-up. Have a tiny bit now and when we get back I'll feed you properly okay?" She nodded her answer looking at my neck in hunger. I shuddered slightly as it always reminded me of my first Strigoi encounter but I shut that from mind and watched her bite me. I then felt the rush of endorphins go into my body and I felt like I was drugged up. It of course could be an addiction getting bitten, however I've felt a Strigoi's bite which is ten times stronger so this was nothing. Besides I have to agree with Lissa – I would never want to be a blood whore. Ever.

Once Lissa had finished, I cleaned up the wound as best as I could, feeling weaker even with the little amount she took. I covered it with my hair and unlocked the door. I opened the door and looked around noticing differences in the bar straight away. Three tall men were sitting spread around the bar. Dhamphirs.

I closed the door and locked it again hiding our view from them. I looked frantically around the room for a big enough window to escape from. There wasn't. I went through the room plan of the bar and remembered the door to the left of us was for staff. Surely there would be an exit there.

I turned to Lissa who was worried about me. "Lissa there are Dhampirs out there." Her face showed fear and shock that we have been found. "To get out, I need you to follow and listen to everything I say okay? Now come on." I grabbed her hand and opened the door quickly running to the staff door. I barely heard the owner shout before I was in the next room. Cursing him for bringing us attention, my eyes traced the room around us. I smiled relieved when I saw the exit sign clearly labelled. I pulled Lissa along at my speed and opened the door to the alleyway.

We raced towards the lighted street but suddenly ran into a tall muscular wall that had stepped out from behind the dumpster. Damn. Pushing Lissa behind me I crouched down and swung my leg out to swipe him off his feet. He countered my attack by grabbing my foot. Without thinking, I jumped into the air bringing up my other foot and kicking the person in front of me with all my power. He let go off my foot and I landed gracefully like a cat while I watched him stumble backwards. I started feeling slightly light-headed from the blood that I was still losing out of the bite mark. I shook my head to clear it and stood up ready for the Dhampirs next move. I could see through his neutral face that he was impressed with me and working out a strategy. He unexpectedly charged me, but I dodged him in the nick of time only stumbling once. I righted myself and quickly went back to Lissa by the wall to protect her. I looked around me and noticed more than one guardian, but the tall one was nearest. He was looking in one direction only. My neck. My hair had moved away due to the unexpected fight so he could see the blood streaking down my neck slowly. I growled at him, tossing my hair over the bite. He came out of his obvious stare and stepped forward again and I crouched again preparing myself to attack to get my charge and I away. He brought his hands up to indicate he wasn't going to attack. I didn't release from my crouch.

"Rose." I heard my best friend say from behind me. I turned my ear to her to indicate I was listening. "Stop." I felt her emotions through the bond. She then repeated her statement, saying in her to me through the bond "I'm sorry." The last stop she had used had slight compulsion in it and I gradually straightened up into a more friendly gesture. I glanced at Lissa looking at her with understanding and a little anger for her using compulsion on me.

I looked at all the Guardians surrounding us. "It took you long enough to find us. Here I thought Guardians were supposed to be almighty yet they couldn't even find two seventeen year old girls for two years. Shame on you." Sarcasm was laced throughout my little speech and when I finished I noticed a few familiar faces on the team from two years ago who were trying not to smile at my usual Rose attitude.

"Rosemarie," I glared the tall man in front of me but he continued ignoring my famous glare, "and Princess Vasilisa we have been ordered to bring you back to Saint Vladimir's Academy by Principal Kirova. I would also like to introduce myself to you Princess because I am your guardian. My name is Guardian Dimitri Belikov and I'm glad to be of service to you." He then bowed gracefully considering his height. I glared again when he announced himself as her Guardian considering I was supposed to be her Guardian!

Lissa put a hand on my shoulder to stop me from going pyscho on this imposter, stepped forward so she was next to me and relied royally. "I am glad to meet you Guardian Belikov. We will come with you without any inconveniences, won't we Rose?" She said looking at me with a 'do as your told' look. I nodded mutely while raging inside.

We were put into separate cars (presumably to stop us conversing and creating a plan to escape) and we headed towards the airport. When we were at the airport we bypassed security which made me sigh. In my thigh holster I had a silver enchanted stake ready for any Strigoi. As we moved through the airport we each had at least six guardians around us to make sure we did nothing funny. On the school's plane, I was placed at the back while Lissa was placed at the front. I smirked at all the procedures they were doing to keep us away from each other.

I sat down arrogantly and watched my escorts slowly spread themselves around me but not in my aisle. Everyone had heard of the Hathaway/Mazur anger then and didn't want to be near me for evidence of it. I smirked at the thought but it dropped quickly. I had spoken too soon. Belikov came towards me from where Lissa sat and plonked himself gracefully down right next to me. I puffed out and decided if he wanted to speak to me, he was going to have to go through a lot of effort to get me to talk.

I waited for him to speak but he didn't so I ignored him and checked up on Lissa. This was one of the many things our bond could do and we could communicate through her head too which I admit thinking about it now, it sounds very weird but oh well, I'm used to weirdness. As I entered her head, she felt the intrusion. "Rose?" I smiled at that.

"Who else, the president?" I said cockily. She giggled but quickly sobered up.

"What are we going to do Rose?" I could feel how much trust she had towards me and I felt guilty I had let her down by getting us caught. I was a failure.

"We will stay in the academy until the Guardians have died down with their worries. Then we will escape again find Rob and go to on a long vacation in Europe. What do you think? Maybe we can get ourselves some cute British guys." As I said Rob's name, I had a realisation. "Dimitri's trying to talk to me. I don't want to seem like a retard so see you when we are at the academy." I lied.

I came out of her head with my anger clearly written on my face. Rob that bastard! He had reported us! That's why he said I was ready for something! It's why he didn't come out tonight! What the fuck! When I see him next… My thoughts escaped me as Belikov spoke to me.

"Are you alright?" He asked me warily. So he saw all the emotions that went on my face. He must have been puzzled. Well he can think I'm a freak. I don't care. I looked up into his face and finally properly noticed him now I was out of the 'he is my enemy' stage in a fight. He had a strong chiselled jaw and strong features which brought out his handsome face. His brown hair hung around his face sexily and his body was indescribable. The thing that amazed me the most was his eyes though. They were all different shades of brown and while he had a mask on for his emotions, his eyes told a different story. They were animated.

I blinked away my awe ashamedly. When did I get obsessed over a guy? Guys get obsessed over me, not the other way round. I turned my face away from him and held back all my emotions. "I'm fine. I'm just trying to work how you figured out where we were. Last time I checked, I led you all up to Canada by buying a flight with Lissa's credit card and not Washington."

He smiled at me, probably glad I was talking and not zoning out pulling faces again. "Someone actually tipped us off that you were here." My anger increased thinking of Rob. I felt the darkness building so I locked it up for a later date.

"Hmm… interesting." I said letting some of my anger leak. I saw in the corner of my eye that Dimitri was staring at me probably trying to work out what was wrong again. He didn't say anything though about it. A comfortable silence enveloped us but I did feel his glances on me on occasion.

After his last glance I snapped at him. "If you're looking at me constantly because you've never seen someone so beautiful go ahead and soak up my beauty, but if you do have something to say, please enlighten me."

He was about to respond but the pilot spoke over the intercom. "Ladies and gentleman we are on our descent into Montana, Saint Vladimir's Academy. Please fasten your seat belts."

Ahh my favourite place on Earth, Saint bloody Vladimir's. Note my sarcasm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Guten Tag my fellow Vampire Academy addicts! Another quick update from me :O I know I should have asked this a while ago, but what do you guys think of the Vampire Academy trailer? Yay or nay? Nay for me. It just doesn't seem to bring the essence of the film into it but I still have my hopes on the film!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Academy characters and I also don't own some of the paragraphs in this chapter (I couldn't be bothered to work out my own descriptions so I went reading the book - now don't get your panties in a twist, at least I was honest!**

**Anyway, review, review and review!**

* * *

Chapter 3:

As I entered through the gates of hell, I took in the differences from the last time I was there. To be factual, I actually took in the lack of change the Academy had gone through. Everything seemed the same on the outside.

The buildings were gothic influenced just like the ones in Europe which were much older. It boasted elaborate, almost churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there. It resembled a university rather than a high school.

There were two campuses: the secondary and the primary. The primary housed and taught youngsters while the secondary was where I was being led. It was split into lower and uppers schools. Each built around a large quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century-old trees. The academic buildings and housing was in the upper schools area where we were heading.

All around the campuses was space, space and more space. We were in Montana after all, miles away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves. Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy and in the day you could see mountains rising up though Moroi day was night time due to their weakness towards sunlight so you didn't see it that often.

As well as this, the atmosphere was the same. It had the same intense feeling it had whenever I entered the campus like I was waiting for something to jump out at me and attack me. Of course I was ready for it now, but before in the months before we ran Lissa was scared, hell even I was scared and that's hard to do. This atmosphere had only turned up in those months. I could still feel the old atmosphere even if it was cloaked in this intense horrible feeling. I could already feel the rumours being spread about us finally being found – I was spilt in half about this. In one way I love that we are 'frontline news' because I love being talked about (I know, I'm an attention whore). But I also hate it because it has wounded my pride: I had thwarted the Guardians every time they had tried to find us and that had made my ego increase a lot in size.

We walked to a set of large arch doors that I could recognise anywhere with the swirl patterns going all the way around the rim of them. The commons, where everyone ate. I sighed not ready for the amount of eyes that will be on both Lissa and I. The Guardians in front of me opened the doors loudly making people inside turn their heads already. I glared at the culprits of the new stares. I feel through the bond that Lissa was frightened and I looked quickly to look at how pale she had turned from the thought of walking through the busiest area of the Academy. I smiled reassuringly at her and stepped forward willing to go first with my escorts.

As we went through the crowds of breakfast I felt the shocked stares we got from all my fellow students. The infamous Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir had finally been caught. I gazed around and smirked a classic Rose smirk to them all even though on the inside it was slightly unnerving with the stares. Maybe I liked being inconspicuous from our two years away more than I thought. Oh well. I was Rose Hathaway for god's sake! If I can take on ancient Strigoi then I can take on these people!

I also felt the hungry stares of many boys making me realise I was still wearing the short dress I wore for our celebration. I tugged slightly at the length of it feeling slightly exposed.

I let out a sigh of relief when we had finally left the commons. I knew Lissa had handled it as well as me because she was trained to be. She was one of the princesses so this was part of the training. She has to be elegant and efficient.

When I sighed, Dimitri glanced to me with amusement in his eyes like he purposely led us that way instead of the many other directions we could have went to get to the head's office. I didn't feel annoyed at him though. His presence had somehow reassured me that all would be fine. He seemed to cool my constant anger inside. It confused me, but I would take anything I could get to be ready for my next awkward situation. I was meeting my best friend, Kirova…

I was to go in first to Kirova and then Lissa so Lissa was led off to her dorm so she can rest. I was little apprehensive. How long was my 'friendly chat' with Kirova going to last?

As I stood outside the room waiting for her to let me and my party of six Dhamphirs in (I was still not trusted) I glanced to Dimitri wanting to at least feel a little of comfort from his handsome face. He was standing stoically next to me with his hardened expression, but his eyes still held the same puzzlement as they did on the flight here. He was still trying to work me out. Unfortunately, I am not easily solved and I delighted myself in this doing a mini celebratory dance in my head. I smiled ahead ready to face the on slaughter that was about to come my way.

Just then the grand double doors to Kirova's office opened and in I stepped looking towards my old acquaintance that I loved to annoy once and probably will love to annoy again. My smile widened at this thought. Dimitri noticed this and murmured. "Behave."

"Hello Rosemarie, it's a pleasure to see you again." Kirova said snootily looking at my outfit in disapproval. My eyes started to glare at her obvious lack of respect towards me when I remembered Dimitri's word to me. Best behaviour, right.

"Likewise." I replied shortly knowing if I spoke too much my snarky nature would unwrap itself. I grabbed onto my chair tightly, so I wouldn't jump up at her.

"Let's get straight to business. You Miss Hathaway have broken the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a Guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A great trust you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it you insolent child." I gripped the chair harder and clenched my jaw together to stop my retorts from coming out. She was the insolent child thinking she knew the whole reason that we left was for selfish reasons. If she only knew the danger held in this Academy. "You were lucky Rose. But now Lissa doesn't need that luck anymore. Lissa will stay on and fulfill her duties as a princess." She paused for dramatic effect and I felt a sense of dread hit me. "As for you, you can't seem to understand the responsibilities of a Guardian and so you will be escorted out of this Academy and sent away." She concluded.

I sat there for a second trying to come to grips with what she said. Anger then settled over me. "I am her Guardian. You can't do this to me!" I shouted in her face. I felt myself be pushed down in my chair.

She flinched slightly but continued on. "You are expendable and don't deserve to be a Guardian."

Knowing I was being held down I gave her a deathly stare. "Why don't I deserve to be a Guardian? Do you know anything that has happened over these past two years to me? You don't even know why we left in the first place. You're just taking assumptions. You don't know anything _Ellen_." I spat at her.

"Why don't you enlighten us then Rosemarie?" I looked at her blankly. I couldn't tell her anything, she wouldn't believe me. Hell sometimes I didn't believe what has happened.

"I-I can't." I said rubbing my tingling neck. The Moljina marks were making themselves known to me wanting me to spill one of many secrets. I had been hunting Strigoi since I met Rob to make sure I never felt powerless. My list of Moljina marks was amazing for an experienced Guardian, let alone a novice. I had eleven small tattoos on my neck to count each Strigoi I had killed.

Rob had had contacts so I was never missing out on my marks and also so whenever I did kill one an alchemist would be there to clean up the mess (they were humans who knew about the vampire world and kept it discreet – they had a golden flower tattoo on their cheek placed by the elements and a bit of compulsion). I had one constant alchemist, Sydney Sage - A woman who hates all 'creatures of the night' but has taken a liking to me even though she knows me only by my alias name, Sophia Williams. That's the name that is registered to all my kills.

"Well then Rose, you will be escorted by the same Guardians who brought you here." My face falls. I didn't know what to do. I had to be here to protect Lissa. I had to get her away from the danger again. As my mind started panicking, a sultry voice spoke up.

"They have a bond." Dimitri low accented voice broke the heavy tension in the room. All of us turned towards him. I gaped my mouth wide open. How had he noticed that? He stood at the back of the room looking like a cowboy with his duster on. He also looked powerful and demanding. "Don't you?" He stared at me. His confusion had disappeared from before because he had worked out one of my many secrets and one of the main ones.

"N-No that's not possible. That hasn't happened in centuries. No." Kirova garbled clearly overwhelmed by this information. I averted my eyes from Dimitri's eyes down to my lap in case he figured something else important.

"It's obvious," he said. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them." He then added something surprising. "Only the best Guardian's had a bond in the stories."

"Yes Guardian Belikov, stories. How can we know they are true and are you suggesting we should keep her here?" I watched the tennis match between the two respected individuals, right now Dimitri was winning by thirty – fifteen.

"We know they are true because the evidence is in front of us." Forty – fifteen. "Besides she deserves to be here just for her skills. She is already tactful and escaped from our grasp many times and then when we did finally find she would have beaten me if I hadn't have had back up." He paused, properly adding the weakness from Lissa's bite in his head. "I haven't seen a novice before like her. We need her." He finished staring at me with an intense look in his eyes.

Kirova sat stunned in front of me. "You almost beat Guardian Belikov?" Her eyes went wide. And game to Dimitri.

"Yes. What can I say when you have a body this hot you don't want it to go to waste." I explained grinning at her. I was beating her with the help of Dimitri. She snapped out of her awe quickly.

"This still doesn't mean you will be coming back to this school. You have absolutely no sense of responsibility. That isn't Guardian material." Kirova looked desperate and was grasping at straws.

"I will volunteer to teach her and help her with her training, including helping her with her attitude problem" He said. I glared at him. I don't have an attitude problem!

"So she goes unpunished for kidnapping the princess?" My icy stare moved to Kirova.

"Find some other way to punish her," answered Dimitri. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."

His unspoken words made me shiver reminding me on never wanting to become a 'blood whore'. Few Dhampir girls became Guardians anymore which was just wrong. I watched Kirova carefully as she stared out of her window thinking. She sighed. "I Miss Hathaway stays, her continued enrollment is strictly probationary. Step out of line once and you are out Rosemarie. You will attend all classes and required training's for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have – before and after classes. Other than that you are banned from all social activities except meals and will stay in your dorm. Are we clear?"

I nodded eagerly, happy I could stay with Lissa so we could plan our escape.

"You are dismissed. Go straight to your dorm and stay there until lunch where we will hand you your lesson time table." She then spun her chair officially ending the conversation.

I started to walk to my dorm with my escorts feeling considerably lighter. I couldn't believe I had gotten out of that. All because of Dimitri, the Russian God. Remembering the USSR, I decided to give Dimitri a nickname.

I caught up with him. "Thanks Comrade. You are a lifesaver." I said sincerely.

"Comrade?" He questioned confusedly.

"Yep." I answered shortly not bothering with an explanation. I wanted him to stay puzzled with me and if this was one way to make him confused I'll go with it. "Come on Comrade, I'd like to get to my dorm and start unpacking before I eat. Which reminds I'm starved because I didn't get any breakfast. That's your fault Comrade." I playfully glared at him and continued strolling towards my dorm. I might as well have fun while I am here and puzzling/annoying Dimitri can be of those fun things I do.


End file.
